Why is lead management automation so effective for African business?

Whether you are starting a new business in Africa or have been trading for dozens of years, expanding and growing your customer base is essential. Lead generation is one aspect of this process, and it is an important one, but are you making the most of those leads? In this article, we are going to look at lead management automation – what it is, what it does, and how it can improve your business so you can make more of your opportunities.

What is lead management, how can it be automated?

Lead management is a strategic action which covers the acquisition of leads and manages the process of taking your potential customer to a paying one, and then a returning and recommending one.

For some, the process they need to address is a funnel (like your sales funnel), and for others a cycle (such as the customer lifecycle) – but the commonality in both is that there are different stages and actions that need to be undertaken to move the lead through into conversion.

The automation of lead management involves identifying each of the stages of the process, and then putting software, applications, and programs into place to make the most efficient and effective moves and ensure that potential leads are not only developed to their fullest but nurtured afterwards.

Automation of this process uses a variety of tools, such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, project management tools, and data management – it organises your leads (sorting them by categories or demographics), ensures regular correspondence goes out, and allows swift action to be taken by assigning customers to employees for monitoring and management.

Getting it right can make a huge impact on your business – such as increasing potential conversions, speeding up communications with customers, reducing customer service issues and complaints, and improving staff efficiency just for a start.

Why is lead management essential for your business?

Ruler Analytics reported that 91% of marketers say lead generation is their most important goal, which makes lead management a business-critical process. It is especially important when you have a varied or diversified audience to target your customers appropriately and connect with new sales opportunities without unnecessary spending, time wastage, or other issues.

Data privacy, as reported by IT Web, has been a hot issue in Africa for a few years now, and lead management has to be conducted carefully, within regulations, and in a way that is easy to manage. Having the right tools for the task is critical.

How is automation changing business in Africa?

As more companies realise the benefits of automation and find that there are now solutions that are capable of handling their individual needs, the face of African business is changing.

Processes are becoming more streamlined, resources are used more effectively, and businesses are finding that with the right processes in place, they are able to comply with legal obligations and regulations more easily – saving time, money, and potential damage to the company in the process.

The initial progress has been relatively slow for the adoption of automation in Africa, but with structural improvements and infrastructure becoming more robust to handle the processes, it will not be long before more businesses across the continent start making use of the time and money-saving processes, and with Africa having the demographics for mass adoption, it would not be surprising to see this happen.

What are the benefits of adopting a lead management solution?

When you have the right lead management solution, you are set to save yourself time, money, and effort – but these are not the only benefits that you could reasonably expect to see.

Other benefits that you may find could include:

• Improved sales funnel leading to more customer conversions.
• Fewer customer service complaints due to faster response times.
• Identification of new markets and audiences for product development and targeting.
• Improved customer relations and brand awareness.
• Increased brand reputation and word-of-mouth referrals.
• Enhanced marketing focus and opportunities.
• Improved employee morale and work environment.

What challenges are faced when selecting lead management software?

When you choose your lead management automation solution, you must look carefully at the tools and services on offer and consider whether they are appropriate for your needs.

Some of the challenges you may face could include:

• Outdated tools and processes which do not meet the company's needs.
• Platforms and applications which are not compliant with data privacy standards and other regulations.
• Applications and tools which do not integrate with the existing digital structure of the business.
• Long load and send times due to insufficient bandwidth and application space.
• Data spread amongst too many tools and applications, which slows down the process and causes leads to ‘slip’ between the gaps.

How can we help you manage your leads more effectively?

Making the choice to streamline your processes and become more efficient requires careful consideration of your options, and not choosing an ‘off-the-shelf’ package which is not going to be suitable for your specific challenges and needs.

The TEBillion Way starts with a free demonstration, which you can book at a time that suits you, and with our experts listening. We will work with you to determine exactly what you need (so you are not left paying for products you have no use for like you could in a one-size fits all solution).

We use our years of experience and highly sophisticated approach to CRM and Data Management in combination with a range of tried and tested tools, and we will create an ideal package for you and your business.

When you use TEBillion, you gain access to and benefit from:

• Streamlined lead management – Organise your leads with funnels and filters, automate lead assigning and always know whom to prioritise to win more sales.
• Automatic processes – You can assign leads to individual team members, so everyone knows exactly what they are working with, and who has responsibility for each client.
• Funnels unique to you – Rather than working with templates or processes that do not fit your needs, you can create new stages of your sales funnels, and customise them exactly as you need them.
• Pipeline management – With Kanban-style pipeline management, you can determine how you handle your data, and make your processes more efficient.

Book your demonstration today, and discover how TEBillion can put your company on the path to success.